The Spider and the Bear (folk tale contest entry)

In the forest long ago there lived a spider.

She was quick and nimble. Patient and clever. She had to be. Her prey could fly and she could not.

So each evening she would build a trap. A sprawling spiraling web, stretched through the trees. Then she would hide until the trap was sprung. Her web would twang and sing as she would dance and pounce.

One day while waiting she was thrown violently from her hiding place, her web destroyed by a great lumbering beast. A great bear had passed through the web and shattered it. All her work destroyed. Her meal for the day ruined.

That night as she rebuilt her web the spider hummed to herself.

"What an unlucky day," she thought as she wove. "Surely tomorrow will be better."

The next day once again the bear passed through her web, destroying it and sending her scrambling for the undergrowth. She cried after the bear as it walked away, but there was no response.

That night as she rebuilt her web the spider fumed.

"I will bite the bear," she thought as she wove. "I will fight for my home."

The next day once again the bear passed through her web. The spider leapt onto the bear's back and began to bite. She was swift and powerful as always. Her jaws sank deep in the bear's flesh, but it did not stop. It did not slow. It just walked on until the spider was knocked loose by a passing branch.

That night as she rebuilt her web the spider planned.

"If the bear wants to destroy a web" she thought as she wove. "I will build two. One for it to destroy, and one for me."

The next day once again the bear passed through her web, not slowed at all by passing through two.

The spider was very hungry now, and at a loss. She had done everything she could and the bear had simply come again and destroyed everything she built.

That night the spider did not spin another web. She did not even climb to the trees. She simply lay on the ground and wept.

She was still crying the next day as the bear approached. The great beast seemed to pause for a moment, turning his great head until he found the source of the sobbing.

The bear cocked it's head to the spider and asked, "why are you crying?"

The spider covered it's ears as the bear spoke, it's booming voice painful to her ears. When she responded she yelled as loud as she could. "As if you didn't know," she sniffed. "You've destroyed everything. Why not just eat me and be done with it?"

The bear rocked back in surprise, dropping on it's haunches to sit. "I don't believe we've met," it said, a twinkle of amusement in its eye. "What exactly did I do to you?"

The spider scoffed. "You wrecked my web, day after day. I'm going to starve because of you."

The bear nodded. "I do blunder into things from time to time. I'm terribly sorry. Where was your web?" The spider showed him where it had been. "Right in front of my den?" The bear laughed, the burst of sound sending the spider ducking under some leaves. "My dear little friend, I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you, but," the bear shook its head, "how else was I to leave?"

The next night the spider spun her web well away from the bear's path.

The next day she ate well. She danced as her web sang, clever and quick.